Cad Bane's Birthday
by Blue Raspberry Boy
Summary: Ahsoka has the perfect plan to make her sleemo's birthday extra special.


They had been dating in secret for the better part of a year, but this was the first time they could celebrate his birthday as a couple.

Ahsoka had the whole thing planned perfectly.

She spent a good portion of her savings to purchase gifts for him. And of course, didn't forget to wear the perfume and lingerie he bought for her as an apology gift for breaking her Master's nose. Spent a good hour doing her makeup, and put on more eyeshadow and lipstick than usual.

Cad Bane's last message, sent from his droid Todo 360, informed her that he would back to Coruscant by early afternoon that day. Plenty of time to do everything they wanted to do together. Ahsoka quickly finished her training for the day and left the Temple before anyone could realize she was gone. With any luck, by the time she came back two mornings later, no one would have noticed. One of the privileges of being a Jedi Knight is you had less supervision and could leave the Temple to meditate elsewhere if needed.

They shared a secret apartment a dozen or so levels down. It was where they always went when they were both on Coruscant, where they could make love and drink or even just hang out and indulge in Bane's terrible soap opera addiction. Ahsoka used her key to get inside and start preparing the big surprise. Over the months since they started using it, it had accumulated its own unique aroma…a mixture of Bane's black cigarettes and Ahsoka's pink ones, cinnamon whiskey, fresh flowers, and leftover takeout.

She checked the fridge and ate the last slice of cold pizza to hold her off until he arrived. Her next hour was spent preparing the ingredients so she could start working on his favorite meal as soon as he was there, and it would be ready within minutes. The gifts were wrapped carefully and set on his pillow. Then, as she always did when she came back to the apartment, she refilled the vase with fresh flowers. This time they were roses.

When everything was ready, she undressed down to her lingerie and touched up her makeup. She watched holovision until Todo told her Bane was on his way and would be there in a few minutes.

Ahsoka tried not to giggle with glee as she dived onto the bed. Made sure she was lying perfectly in a way that accented her curves. Everything had to be perfect for him.

She had fallen for him in such a strange way. She wanted to say it was like an accumulated taste, a flavor that you despised at first but learned to tolerate, then learned to enjoy, and then one day you realize you cannot live without it. But there was more to her relationship with Bane than that.

He had become her safe place, her refuge. She could tell him things about herself none of the Jedi would understand. The worlds Ahsoka and Bane grew up in could not be more different, but that just meant they had more in common. He was her chance to feel like a normal person again even as the war dragged on. Her shoulder to cry on, her drinking partner, her libido, her freedom.

And to him? She was his comfort, his tranquility, the lone candle in the darkness that burned bright and never went out. He, too, had told her things he could not figure out how to tell anyone else. She was the one person who he could let himself open up to.

All the more reason to make his birthday extra special.

Sure enough, before long, Ahsoka heard him step inside. There was the sound of his boots against the floor. The shifting of his coat as he took it off and hung it over the chair. The rustling as he emptied his pockets. Finally, he entered the bedroom. Ahsoka put on her best seductive smile and slid her palm down her thigh.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," she purred.

Bane stared at her like he had suddenly forgotten the meaning of the word 'birthday.' Then a small smile appeared on his face.

"You remembered," he spoke softly.

"Of course I remembered. How could I let such a special day slip by?" She smiled again. "So, like what you see?"

"You know I do."

He was about to walk over to her but she sat up and stopped him, holding up her hand.

"Ah, ah…first. You have to open your presents."

"There are presents?"

She just laughed and leaned forward, kissing him right on the lips.

"You're so cute. Here." She shoved the three wrapped packages in his arms. He stared at them then sat on the bed and opened them one by one. The first item made him grin at her and she saw the images of what he would do with it clearly. It was the same silicone cock cage and ring set they had talked about getting for him a few weeks ago.

"Ah. You remembered." He licked his fangs. "Can't wait to test it out."

" _Rrrrawrf_." She kissed his neck, feeling elated again just being close to him, and horny just looking at the first gift for him, imagining him wearing it and the noises he would make from it, the way he would writhe. Ahsoka couldn't stop smiling as he unwrapped the other two gifts.

"My favorite whiskey. This stuff isn't cheap." He stared at the label.

"So…you're worth the extra credits, baby. Don't worry about it." Her smile started to fade a bit at the corners, and she decided not to put her hand on his thigh.

Bane wasn't reacting _at all_ the way she had expected him to. He wasn't excited, or turned on, hadn't even said thank you.

Aching a little with the beginnings of disappointment, Ahsoka tore open the third gift.

"And there. I got you boot polish too! You mentioned you would need some more soon."

He held the three gifts in his lap and gave her a small smile.

"Something kinky, something edible, and something practical. You know me too well, little lady." He leaned over his shoulder and kissed her. She happily returned the gesture and cupped his face. "So…which one should I use first?"

"Before we do that…" She fingered the tip of her montral and grinned. "I have one more present. I'm going to cook your favorite dinner."

"'Soka…"

"Now don't go away. It'll only take a few minutes. And after we eat we can do whatever you want, sweetie."

When he didn't smile back, she forced herself to get up and skip over to the kitchen. But her heart had already begun sinking. What had she done wrong? What had she missed? What had she forgotten? Did she just catch him in one of his bad moods or was she really…not sexy enough to make his birthday as memorable as she had hoped?

A sudden, unexpected sound cut off her thoughts. She frowned. Was that…no, it wasn't. Bane never cried.

She heard it again and went back to the bedroom. Bane was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his head. The way his shoulders shook and heaved gave it away.

"Cad…baby? What's wrong?" Ahsoka raced to him and cupped his face.

"I'm sorry…I'm fine."

"No, you're not. What's going on? Please tell me…"

He looked up at her and quickly, as if embarrassed, cleaned his face. He always got flustered when he started to show strong emotions.

"It's just. No one has done anything for me on my birthday before. Just overwhelmed me a little, is all."

So that was why he had been acting strange, Ahsoka realized. Her heart ached for him. She wished she could have been there for all the other birthdays he spent alone. Smiling sadly, she climbed in his lap and held his head to her chest.

"I wanted to make it perfect for you. I love you, Cad."

"I love you, too," he whispered, then sighed. "I'm okay now."

"Good." She hugged him. "I'm going to go finish making dinner. Come join me and I'll make you a drink."

Bane looked up at her, eyes soft and cloudy. But he was calm again. Calm in her arms and her arms only.

"Sounds good to me."


End file.
